Tire manufacturers frequently conduct extensive real-world testing to understand real-world characteristics of (or influenced by) new tires. For example, characteristics such as tire friction, vehicle stopping distance, blowout handling, or noise production are often best-gauged by mounting the tire to the wheel of a vehicle or trailer and gathering data at a test track. For example, one form of friction test involves mounting a tire to be tested to a wheel of a traction trailer, driving at a predetermined testing speed (e.g., 40 miles per hour), applying a brake to the wheel for a short period of time (e.g., about 1 second), and measuring various forces on the wheel during the braking period. Such data resulting from multiple trials may be compiled into a “mu-slip” curve indicative of how tire friction varies with the degree to which the tire skids along the road. More specifically, the mu-slip value indicates the amount of braking force that is generated by the tire as its rotational velocity is reduced relative to the speed of the trailer and vehicle. Such mu-slip curves provide a useful metric in comparing different tires.